County Seeks Grant With Cities' Help

August 22, 1985|By David Scruggs of The Sentinel Staff

MERRITT ISLAND — Brevard County could be eligible for up to $6 million in special federal urban development grants over the next three years if county officials can prove they represent at least 200,000 people.

Because population in the unincorporated sections of the county is 122,000, Brevard can't reach the population minimum unless several cities agree to become part of the county application by Aug. 30. Palm Bay, Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral have already agreed to the plan; Satellite Beach and Rockledge also are expected to agree, according to officials in those communities.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development also has identified Seminole and Pasco counties as candidates for designation as urban counties. The designation would place them in the three-year grant entitlement program offered to heavily populated areas that have a substantial poor segment.

Eight counties and 34 cities in the state already are guaranteed a share of an estimated $100 million in grants next year.

Without entitlement, local governments must compete statewide under a separate program for limited block grant funds.

Cities that sign the agreement for the county to seek funds on their behalf may receive a portion of the $1 million to $2 million Brevard County should receive over each of three years. If other communities sign the agreement, increasing the population covered, the county may get more money.

Melbourne, Titusville and Cocoa cannot be included because they already receive HUD money as entitlement cities independent of the county.

County economic development specialist Greg Lugar said some of the affluent beach cities that support the county will not qualify for a share of the grant money. But helping the county won't hurt them either, he said, because they wouldn't qualify for HUD grants anyway. He said Rockledge and West Melbourne probably would be the first to get money under the program.

Officials in Palm Bay asked for a $300,000 to $400,000 share of the county's grant money in return for the city's support.

Palm Bay deferred its recent qualification as an entitlement city to help the county reach minimum population requirements for urban county status. The county agreed to give Palm Bay what it would have received under that program. By the end of the three-year agreement, Lugar said it is possible the county will have a population sufficient for urban county status without Palm Bay.

At least half of the federal money must be used to improve basic living standards in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. The rest must be spent to at least indirectly affect residents in run-down areas. Generally the grants will pay for improvements to water, sewer and drainage facilities, roads, housing and recreational facilities.

Lugar said the county will create a department to distribute the community development block grants to member cities according to needs they establish in annual work programs.

Brevard was eligible for the grants last year but wasn't able to meet the deadline for getting agreements from city governments. The county was not notified until October because HUD officials changed qualification standards late in the year, Lugar said.